Thill-coupling.



' PATENTBD A UG. 1,-19o5.'

` w; A. BUGHANAN.

` THILL coUPLING.

` APPLIquIoN FILED qu. 2s; 190s.

VGD OY.

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' UNITED ,STAI/ ris yPArIaNT OFFICE.

. WILLIAM A. BUCHANAN, oIaAsIIIevILLIl, NORTH CAROLINA.

THiLL-COUPLING.. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Aug. 1', 1905.`

Applieatin led January 23, 1905. Serial No. 242,394.

TQ all wtone t may concern: Y

Beit known that I, WILLIAM A. BUCHANAN, a citizen of the lUnited States, residing at Asheville, inA the county of Buncombe and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful rlhill-Coupling, of which thefollowing is a specification.

3This invention relates to thill-couplings,and has for its object to provide an improved device of this character wherein the parts are v arranged to facilitate the coupling of the thills with the front axle and to prevent rattling thereof when the device is in use.

, Another object of the invention is to pro vide for adjusting thetension ofv the antirat- In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal'sectional view of a thill-coupling embodying the features of the present invention.r Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the clip plate or body of the coupler. Fig.

3 is a plan view thereofwith parts broken away to show the oil-reservoir. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the antirattler spring. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the thill-iron.

Like characters ofreference designate Corresponding parts in each and every figure o f the drawings.

- lThe device of the present invention includes a body member or clip-plate 1, the forward end portion 2 of which is increased in thickness and projects below the rear portion of 4the bodywith its upper portion provided with a transverse substantiallyk `semicylindrical socket 3 intersecting opposite sides of the plate. The relatively thin portion of the plate or body is pierced by'a pair of openings 4, and there is another opening 5 intersecting the rear portion of the ,enlarged front end of theplate; The part 2 of the body 1 constitutes the-'fixed jaw ofthe coupling, and upon the forward lend of this fixed jaw there is a movable jaw 6, hinged or pivoted to the top of the ixed jaw, as at 7, and overlapping the socket 3, the under side of the movable jaw being provided with a transverse socket or recess 8, designed to register with the socket or recess 3. The rear free extremity of the movable jaw 6 overlaps the opening 5 and is provided with a notch or bifurcation 9, which registers with said opening.

For the attachment of the body to an axle, a portion of which has been shown at 10 in Fig. 1 of the drawings, there is an ordinary axle-clip 11, embracing the axle, with its end portions passing through the openings 4 and clamped thereto by 'means of the nuts 12.

The thill-iron 13 is connected to the thill14 by means of the usual T-headed bolt 15, the rear end of'the iron being projected in rear of the thill and providedV with a fork or yoke 16, having a cross-bar 17 extending between its extremities and designed to be received within the seat or socket 3 of the stationary jaw 2, theV movable jaw 6 being received upwardly through the fork and over the crossbar 17, so' as to receive the latter in the seat orA recess 8.

. To hold the movable jaw 6 down upon the cross-bar 17 of the fork of the thill-iron, there is provided a latching device consisting of a bolt 18. having itsupper end provided with a cross-head 19 and its lower end threaded vided at diametrically opposite sides with trunnions or pivot.projections 21, there being a substantially U-shaped :spring 22, having its lower side shorterthan its upper side and provided with a slot or bifurcation 23 to receive the nut'20, the sides of the bifurcated portion being bent to form bearing-eyes 24, receiving the trunnions 21, whereby the spring is hinged or pivotedto the nut and is capable of being swung vertically thereon. The free end-of the upper side of the spring is provided with a longitudinal bifurcation 25, and the extremities 26 of the sides or fork members formed by the bifurcation are bowed inwardly or toward the lower side ofthe spring, so as to form ycam-terminals.

In assembling the latch Vdevice upon the body of the coupler the. nut 20 is removed from the bolt18, and the latterv is .then thrust downwardly through the opening 5, with its stem portion lying in the bifurcated free terminal 9 of the movable jaw 6, the head of the bolt lying across, the top of the movable jaw. The nut 2O is then fitted to the lower endpf for the reception of a nut 20, which. is prothe stem, with the spring in a vertical position, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. l, the spring being turned or rotated so as to work the nut upwardly upon'the bolt until the camterminals 26 of the free side of the spring engage the under side of the body, and then the lower end of the spring is forced rearwardly upon the trunnions 21 as an axis until the spring snaps into the position indicated in full lines flat against the under side of the coupling, wherefore the movable jaw 6 will be effectually locked, so as to prevent displacement of the thill iron from the coupling members. It will here be explained that the body or plate member 1 is somewhat thinner than the fixed jaw portion 2 in order that the lower faces of the nuts 12 may lie substantially flush with the under side of the fixed jaw in order that the upper side of the spring may lie flush against the bottom faces of the nuts and the lower face of the fixed jaw'. Although the extremities 26 of the upper side of the spring have been shown in engagement with the forward nut l2 and have been described as bearing against the under face of' the fixed jaw, it will be understood that the effect is the same, and whether or not the free end of the spring bears against the under side of the fixed jaw will depend entirely upon the distance between the opening 5 and the adjacent opening 4. The thilliron may be readily released by forcing the spring downwardly to the dotted-line position in Fig. 1, whereupon the nut may work downwardly sufficient to permit of the headed bolt 18 being elevated and tilted rearwardly to clear the free end of the movable jaw, and thereby permit of the latter being swung open upon its hinge or pivot 7 to release the thill-iron. It will here be noted that the opening 5 for the bolt 18 is inclined upwardly and rearwardly to a slight extent and is somewhat wider than the bolt in order that the latter may be tilted rearwardly to clear the free end of the movable jaw, the spring 22 of course bringing the bolt into a substantially upright position into snug engagement with opposite sides of the opening 5 at the top and bottom thereof to hold the same rigidly in place and prevent looseness thereof.

In the rear face of the socket 3 there is a chamber 27, which is cut through the fixed jaw from side to side thereof and in which suitable packing or absorbent material 28 is fitted, each end of the chamber being closed by a plug 29 to retain the absorbent material in place. This absorbent material isdesigned to be satu rated with oil, so as to maintain the bearing between the thill-iron and the two jaws of' the coupling in the properly-lubricated condition, thereby to permit of an easy working of the thill-irons under the up and down movements imparted thereto by the draft-animal.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the device of the present invention is entirely complete in itself' and may be applied to any ordinary vehicle axle and thill without altering or changing the saine in any manner whatsoever. When fitted in place, the thill may be readily detached and disconnected in a very simple and expeditious manner. Moreover, rattling of the parts of the coupling is efiectually prevented, and the tension of the spring may be conveniently adjusted by means of the nut Q0 to take up wear, and thereby insure a proper fit of the movable jaw, the bolt 18, and the spring.

Having fully described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. A thill-coupling comprising a fixed jaw, a movable jaw, an endwise-movable link connecting the movable jaw and the fixed jaw, and a substantially U -shaped antirattling spring carried solely by and hinged to the link and capable of being turned upon its pivotal support into engagement with one of' the jaws in the manner of a cam to place a spring tension upon the link and the movable jaw.

2. A thill-coupling comprising a fixed jaw, a movable jaw hinged thereon, an endwisemovable link piercing the two jaws, and a substantially U -shaped antirattling spring carried solely by and hinged to the lower end of the link and capable of' being turned upon its hinged support into engagement with thc under side of the fixed jaw to place a spring tension upon the link and the movable jaw.

3. A thill-coupling comprising a fixed jaw having a vertical opening', a movable jaw hinged upon the fixed jaw with its rear free end provided with a bifurcation which is in alinement with the opening of the fixed jaw in the closed position of the pivotal jaw, a headed link movable endwise in the opening in the bifurcation with its head extending across the top of the pivotal jaw, and a substantially U -shaped antirattling spring carried solely by the lower end of the link with one terminal hinged to the link and capable of being swung upwardly thereon to bring the opposite side of the spring into engagement with the bottom of the fixed jaw to place a spring tension upon the link and the pivotal jaw.

4. A thill-coupling comprising a fixed jaw, a movable jaw, an endwise-movable link connecting the jaws, and a substantially U-shaped antirattling spring having one end hinged to the link and adjustable longitudinally thereon, said spring capable of being turned upon its hinged support into engagement with one of the jaws to place a spring tension upon the link and the movable jaw.

5. A thill-coupling comprising a fixed jaw, a movable jaw, an endwise-movable link connecting the jaws and provided with a threaded portion, a nut adjustable upon the threaded portion of' the link, and a substantially U- shaped antirattling spring having one terminal hinged upon the nut andv capable of being swung thereon to bring itsopposite side into engagement` with oneofthe jaws to place a spring tension upon the link and the movable jaw.-

` 6. A thill-coupling comprising a fixedV jaw having an opening, a movable jaw hinged upon the fixed jaw and provided with an open ing which is in alinement with the opening of the fixed jawl when the movable jaw is closed, a headed link received within the two openings with itshead lying across the outerside of themovable jaw and its opposite end being threaded and projected beyond the fixed jaw, a nut adjustable upon the threaded portion of the link andvprovided with opposite trunnions, anda substantially U-shaped spring having one end bifurcated to receive the nut and hinged to the trunnionsthereof, the opposite end of the spring being bifurcated to straddle the link when turned into engagement with the fixed jaw.-

7. A v thill couplingv comprising abody pierced by. upright openings and-'terminating at its forward end in a thickened [ixed jaw projected below the bottom kof the body and provided with an upright opening, an axle- U-shaped spring having its lower side shorter than its upper side and bifurcated to receive the nut to which the spring is pivotally connected, the opposite side of the spring being*v projected beyondv thev lower side and bifur- Acated to lreceivefthe link when the spring is swung up into engagement with the underv side of the fixed jaw. a I

In testimonyA that I claim lthe foregoing as my own I have hereto afixed my signature inv the presence of two witnesses. f

' WILLIAM A.' BUCHANAN. Witnesses:

CLAUDE M. CHERRY, J;- B. LoTsPIEcH. 

